Latch for the cover of an electrical plating rotating barrel

ABSTRACT

A LATCH FOR THE COVER OF AN ELECTRICAL PLATING ROTATING BARREL IN WHICH THE LATCH (OF WHICH THERE IS ONE OR MORE) COMPRISES A LATCH FINGER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE COVER FOR REMOVAL THEREWITH WHEN THE COVER IS REMOVED FROM THE COVER OPENING IN THE BARREL, THE LATCH HAVING A KEEPER HEAD ADAPTED TO SNAP ONTO A LATCH BAR PROVIDED BY THE BARREL ALONG THE EDGE OF THE COVER OPENING THEREOF.

Feb. 2, 1971 w KlEFER ETAL 3,560,036

LATCH FOR THE COVER OF AN ELECTRICAL PLATING ROTATING BARREL Filed Aug. 25, 1969 a 55 2 fififi FT Pg Pi Q A L, i '2 Ln I 4 30 F, 3 17' 3 22 15 A 17 20 18 a4 .4 21 15 1a (15 5719 L4 1 29 INVENTORS.

3 '5 ,WALTER F. )(IEFER. moo

g RICHARD G STuTz M4 am 31 THE/R ATTOJ NE United States Patent 3,560,036 LATCH FOR THE COVER OF AN ELECTRICAL PLATING ROTATING BARREL Walter F. Kiefer and Richard G. Stutz, Chicago, 11]., as-

signors to The Stutz Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 25, 1969, Ser. No. 852,828 Int. Cl. Ec 19/06 US. Cl. 292-87 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A latch for the cover of an electrical plating rotating barrel in which the latch (of which there is one or more) comprises a latch finger pivotally connected to the cover for removal therewith when the cover is removed from the cover opening in the barrel, the latch having a keeper head adapted to snap over and onto a latch bar provided by the barrel along the edge of the cover opening thereof.

The present invention constitutes an improvement over that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,337,442 granted on Aug. 22, 1967.

The cover latch, of which there is one or more, shown in the referred to patent, comprises alatch bar which has opposite open latch heads adapted for latched engagement with parallel latch bars, the latter carried by the barrel. To remove the cover of the barrel, shown in said patent, the bars are completely detached from the barrel and the barrel cover and laid or set aside until further use of such bars is required. Often the bars become misplaced or lost, resulting in loss of operation of the barrel.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a latch for the cover of a barrel which is connected to and removable with the cover when the cover is removed from the cover opening of the barrel.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plating rotating barrel embodying our invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cover of the barrel embodied in the invention;

FIG. 3 is an edge view of the cover taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detailed view of the cover taken substantially on line 44 of FIG. 3 showing the cover mounted in position upon the barrel and latched thereto;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detailed view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the latch in open position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detailed view taken substantially on line 6-6 of FIG. 5

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional detailed view of the corner portion indicated at A, FIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional detailed View of the corner portion indicated at B in FIG. 5.

The rotating barrel is indicated at 10 and comprises end walls 11 which, like that barrel 10, are formed of plastic material. The barrel is adapted to contain the material to be plated. The barrel 10 is rotatably supported by a structure generally indicated at 12. This structure is shown and described in US. Letters Patent No. 3,337,442 hereinbefore referred to and will not be here described. The top of the barrel 10 has an opening 13-. The walls 14 of the-barrel have inturned flanges of edges 15 which support the cover 16 of the barrel when mounted in the opening 13.

Extending on opposite sides of the cover opening 13 3,560,036 Patented Feb. 2, 1971 in parallel relation with respect to each other and formed as a part of the barrel 10 are latch bars 17 and 17. Each of these latch bars 17 and 17 is longitudinally grooved as at 18 with the grooves opening toward each other. The cover 16 along one long edge 19 thereof is provided with a tongue 20. Beneath the tongue 20 the edge 19 is longitudinally recessed as at 21. When the cover 16 is mounted in the cover opening 13 the tongue 20 will be projected into the groove 18 of the adjacent bar 17 (FIG. 7) with the edge 24 of the cover resting on the adjacent flange 15. In such position of the cover the opposite long edge 22 of the cover will be supported on the adjacent flange 15. By constructing the cover in the form described the cover may be mounted in the opening 13 with the tongue 20 projecting in either of the grooves 18 formed in the bars 17 and 17'.

The cover as shown in the drawings, includes at least three latch fingers 25, each of which are of the same construction. Each is formed of suitable heavy spring material. Each includes a curved latch head 26. The inner end 27 of each latch finger has an angled end portion 28 in which'there is an opening 29. Molded in or otherwise fixedly secured to the cover 16 is an insert plug 30, which in turn has an insert 31 screw-threaded therein. Threaded in this insert 31 is a pintle 32 having an enlarged head 33. A lock nut 34 is threaded on the pintle 32 to space the head 33 of the bolt a suitable distance thereabove. The pintle 32 projects through the opening 29 formed in the inner end 27 of the latch finger 25. The opening 29 is of a diameter larger than the diameter of the pintle 32 to permit the movement of the latch fingers 25 on the pintles 32 into and out of the position shown in FIG. 4.

Beneath each of the latch fingers 25 preferably formed as an integral part of the cover 16 is a bearing plate 35 on which the inner end 27 bears when the latch head 26 is in latched position with respect to the adjacent latch bar 17 as shown in FIG. 4. In such position of the latch finger 25 the end 28 thereof will bear against the head of the bolt 33, thus to place the latch finger 25 under ten sion, with the latch head 26 in latched engagement with the adjacent latch bar 17 (FIG. 4).

To complete the invention there is secured to the cover 16 an elongated hand bar 36 provided at predetermined points with respect to its length with cutout portions 37 through which the latch finger 25 extends and is maintained.

The cover 16 may be mounted in the opening 13 with the tongue 20 projecting into either of the grooves 18 formed in the bars 17 and 17' with the cover supported on the flanges 15.

By the use of a latch constructed in the manner herein described the cover 16 is securely latched in position in the opening 13, and as the latch structure is a part of the cover being attached thereto, when the cover is removed the latch structure will remain as a part of the cover structure. This eliminates the possibilities of the latch structure being misplaced or lost as might occur if made a separate part of the cover as in the case of the latch structure shown in the Pat. No. 3,337,442 hereinbefore referred to. The latch structure is simple and has been found to be satisfactory for its intended purpose, namely, that of removably latching the cover in the door opening of the rotatable barrel.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, 'but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modification as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a rotatable plating barrel having a cover opening defined on opposite side edges by inwardly extending flanges of:

(a) a cover for said opening supported on said flanges when mounted in said opening,

(b) a pair of oppositely disposed latch bars carried by said barrel on opposite sides of the opening,

(0) each of said bars having a longitudinally extending groove formed therein,

(d) said cover providing on one edge thereof a tongue insertable in either of said grooves when the cover is positioned in said opening upon said flanges,

(e) latch mechanism for said cover including one or more latch fingers, each having at one end thereof a latch head adapted for snap latched engagement with one of said bars, and

(f) means for pivotally connecting the opposite end of said latch fingers to said cover for removal therewith when the cover is removed from said opening.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the pivotal means for connecting the latch finger to said cover References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,961,223 6/1934 Jamison 292-80X 3,394,071 7/1968 Gill 204213 3,484,360 12/1969 Sandrock 204213 FOREIGN PATENTS 669,269 4/1952 Great Britain 292-87 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2o4 2 13 

